AP-National

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A federal court has rejected an appeal from former coal executive Don Blankenship, who argued that Donald Trump Jr. defamed him by calling him a “felon.” The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals left in place a lower court’s ruling in West Virginia against Blankenship. The former coal CEO served a

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — A Maryland Senate panel has voted to support a Republican nominee to the state elections board to replace a previous board member who resigned when he was charged with participating in the January 2021 rioting at the U.S. Capitol. The Senate Executive Nominations Committee voted Monday night to send Diane Butler’s

By MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s Cabinet on Tuesday approved a plan to sell future next-generation fighter jets that it’s developing with Britain and Italy to other countries, in the latest move away from the country’s postwar pacifist principles. The contentious decision to allow international arms sales is expected to help secure

GEORGETOWN, Calif. (AP) — Authorities have identified the brothers who were attacked, one fatally, by a mountain lion in California during the weekend. Taylen Robert Claude Brooks was killed in a remote area northeast of Sacramento in the first fatal encounter with a cougar in the state in two decades. His 18-year-old brother survived and

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand says hackers linked to the Chinese government targeted its Parliament in 2021. New Zealand’s allegation comes a day after American and British authorities announced a set of criminal charges and sanctions against seven hackers, who targeted U.S. officials, journalists, corporations and pro-democracy activists, and the U.K.’s election watchdog.

By WILL GRAVES AP National Writer The NCAA Tournament could be heading toward expansion. The tournament field is currently set at 68. That number could bump up to 72 or 76 schools in the coming years. There are several factors at play, including how to divide up the increased number of at-large bids in an

By SAM METZ Associated Press RABAT, Morocco (AP) — Orange blossoms are among Morocco’s quintessential fragrances. Moroccan women are welcoming spring by collecting the waxy white blossoms in copper pots used to distill the scent that’s folded into honey-laden pastries, sprinkled on mint tea and used in religious ceremonies as an ode to paradise. The

By ANDREW DeMILLO Associated Press LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — A high school teacher and two students are suing Arkansas over the state’s ban on critical race theory in public schools. The lawsuit was filed Monday by the teacher and students from Little Rock Central High School. That’s the site of the historic 1957 racial

NEW YORK (AP) — New York City plans to intensify a crackdown on subway fare-beating by sending at least 800 police officers specifically to keep watch on turnstiles, officials announced Monday. It’s the latest in a string of recent moves to address concerns about safety and unruliness in the nation’s busiest subway system. Hours after

By KIMBERLEE KRUESI Associated Press NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee’s Republican-controlled Senate has tweaked a proposal initially designed to keep the state’s tourism records hidden from public scrutiny. The move on Monday marked an effort to add more sunshine into how the state secures high-profile events. Last month, the GOP-dominant House approved legislation that would

By REBECCA BOONE Associated Press BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Two men charged in a brazen prison escape that left three correctional officers with gunshot injuries after an attack at an Idaho hospital were arraigned. Police say both the escaped inmate and a former inmate who used to live in the same cell block are in

By MIKE CATALINI Associated Press TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey has a well-earned reputation as a home to backroom political dealing, but some advocates see that as changing. A lawsuit brought by Rep. Andy Kim aims at breaking the boss-dominated culture in this Democratic stronghold. That and first lady Tammy Murphy’s departure from the

NEW YORK (AP) — An early morning dispute over smoking on a New York subway train has led to one man being stabbed multiple times and another man being arrested. Monday morning’s incident happened on a Brooklyn train bound for Manhattan. Police received a 911 call for a person in distress and discovered a 52-year-old

By MAURICIO SAVARESE Associated Press SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil’s Federal Police on Monday launched an investigation into former President Jair Bolsonaro’s two-night stay at the Hungarian embassy in Brasilia, amid widespread speculation from his opponents that he may have been attempting to evade arrest. A Federal Police source with knowledge of the investigation confirmed

By JAKE OFFENHARTZ Associated Press New York City’s celebrity owl Flaco was suffering from a severe pigeon-borne illness and high levels of rat poison when he crashed into a building and died last month, officials at the Bronx Zoo said Monday. The Eurasian eagle-owl was found dead in a Manhattan courtyard on Feb. 23, a

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Puerto Rico has declared an epidemic following a spike in dengue cases. The U.S. territory of 3.2 million people has reported at least 549 cases so far this year, compared with a total of 1,293 cases for all of last year. The island’s health department says more than 340

By MIKE STOBBE and JONEL ALECCIA Associated Press Federal officials say milk from dairy cows in Texas and Kansas has tested positive for bird flu. The virus has also been detected in New Mexico. Officials with the Texas Animal Health Commission confirmed the flu virus is the Type A H5N1 strain, known for decades to

By MARIA SHERMAN AP Music Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — The last few years haven’t been kind to Shakira. In 2022, after 11 years and two children together, she separated from soccer player Gerard Piqué, leading to what she calls the “dissolution” of her family. She faced charges of tax evasion in Spain; in November

By SARA CLINE Associated Press BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — A bill that ultimately would have let voters decide whether or not abortions should be legal in Louisiana, a state with a near-total ban, has failed after a Republican-controlled committee rejected it. The legislation proposed an amendment to Louisiana’s constitution that would enshrine reproductive rights

By KATHRYN POST Religion News Service (RNS) — Sarah Bowen says she’s been doing the work of an animal chaplain since she was 6 years old. Raised in the Midwest as a Presbyterian preacher’s kid, she was often hauled to hospice facilities and funeral homes but noticed that the chipmunks and other animals crumpled by